The Vancouver Heritage Foundation

10/30/2026

Join VHF, Cory Weeds and special guests as we recognize Cory Weeds’ Cellar Jazz Club as Places That Matter site #102!🎷💙

We’re crowdfunding for this plaque! Help us commemorate this important piece of Vancouver’s music history by donating at https://www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org/discover-heritage/places-that-matter/

10/29/2026

See you next Tuesday for our upcoming Heritage Conservation Education workshop with Elana Zysblat to learn how to create a Heritage Conservation Plan.

This workshop is available in-person and online!

Register now at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/vancouverheritagefoundation/2301692

In many municipalities in BC, a Heritage Conservation Plan is a mandatory document for development permits involving a listed heritage property or for the purposes of a Heritage Revitalization Agreement, but it also represents a really helpful and thorough decision making process for owners of old buildings. In this informative hybrid workshop, heritage professional Elana Zysblat will illustrate how to create a Heritage Conservation Plan using real case studies. Each project will be illustrated and analyzed from the research stage, through the owner’s plans and needs, the construction phase and the crucial role of the Heritage Conservation Plan in guiding and solving the complexity of a heritage project.

📆When: Nov. 3rd, 6pm-9pm
📍Where: Online OR in-person at Heritage Hall
💸Price: $45+tax

Learn more and register at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/vancouverheritagefoundation/2301692

10/28/2026

A few weeks ago the Vancouver Heritage Foundation team attended the opening of “Architect Joe Y. Wai: A Journey into the Garden” at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden!

Through drawings, sketches, archival materials and stories, this exhibition explores the legacy of Joe Y. Wai, who was the architect of the Garden.

This year is especially meaningful as the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden celebrates its 40th anniversary! 🎉

As a Places That Matter site, the Garden has played an important role in Vancouver’s Chinatown since opening in 1986, serving as a place of cultural connection, education, and community.

A special congratulations to VHF Board Director and exhibition co-curator, Dr. Yiting Pang, and everyone involved in bringing this exhibition to life!

The exhibition runs until January 31st, 2027. Check it out! 💙

10/27/2026

Meet our new Grant Programs Manager, Merissa! 💙

We're thrilled to welcome Merissa to the Vancouver Heritage Foundation team!

In her new role, Merissa will help oversee our grant programs, supporting the conservation and care of heritage sites and stories across Vancouver.

We're excited to have her on board👏

10/23/2026

In celebration of their new book, “Real Enough: The Unlikely Story of Doug and The Slugs”, join one of the band’s founding members Simon Kendall and historian Aaron Chapman in an entertaining discussion of Doug and the Slugs’ career over the past 5 decades featuring readings from the book, music, mirth and much besides…

📆When: Nov. 24th, 7pm-8:30pm
📍Where: Hycroft
💸Price: $20/15+tax

Learn more and register at link in bio!

10/21/2026

Attention educators🚨 Field Trip Grant applications are open until October 31st!

Apply now at https://www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org/grants/field-trip-grants/

10/20/2026

Last month, our team attended the British Columbia Association of Heritage Professionals 2026 Annual Meeting in Burnaby!

It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues, heritage professionals and experts from across the province, exchange ideas and learn more about the exciting initiatives shaping heritage conservation in BC.

Our team also had the opportunity to share insights from our flagship Places That Matter program, reflecting on 15 years of recognizing the people, places and stories that have shaped Vancouver.

Thank you to BCAHP for bringing the heritage community together for a day of learning and collaboration!

10/17/2026

Today is International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage! This is a day dedicated to recognizing the traditions, stories, knowledge and cultural practices that connect communities across generations.

At Vancouver Heritage Foundation, we know that heritage is about more than buildings. It's also about the people, stories, and traditions that give these places meaning.

Through our Places That Matter (PTM) program, we celebrate the lesser-known stories that have shaped Vancouver, recognizing those that hold cultural and historical significance to the communities connected to them.

As we celebrate 15 years of PTM, we invite you to explore the over 100 places we’ve recognized online at placesthatmatter.ca.

We also encourage you to support our latest PTM plaque, presenting November 15th, recognizing Cory Weeds’ Cellar Jazz Club, which was a part of the thriving local jazz scene in the city: https://give-can.keela.co/places-that-matter-2026-donations

UNESCO

10/16/2026

From artist files and audiovisual recordings to born-digital materials, Western Front’s archives function as a significant repository of contemporary art history. Join Western Front’s Executive Director, Susan Gibb, and Archivist, Anna Tidlund, for an in-depth look at the organizational strategies that support both the preservation of its history and the development of its future. This session explores how that history is actively documented, interpreted, and sustained through archival practice.

📆When: Nov. 12th, 12pm-1pm
📍Where: Online
💸Price: By donation

Learn more and register at the link in bio!

10/16/2026

Reminder that this Tuesday we are hosting a Heritage Hour about why people were drawn to the Vancouver Special, what it offered homeowners as an affordable option for living in the city, and the ways it helped Vancouver become more cosmopolitan.

Register at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/vancouverheritagefoundation/2305759

In the early 1960s, Vancouver’s city planners became concerned with housing affordability and the need to create new housing options to ensure that people would remain in the city rather than move to the growing suburbs. Despite a range of styles and designs being proposed, the Vancouver Special utterly dominated the 1960s and 1970s. This talk discusses why people were drawn to the Vancouver Special, what it offered homeowners as an affordable option for living in the city, and the ways it helped Vancouver become more cosmopolitan.

📆When: October 20th, 7pm-8:30pm
📍Where: Hycroft
💸Price: $20/15+tax

Learn more and register at the link in bio!